In this treatise, the Writer shall attempt to encapsulate the
theory, ideology, and practice of being a Guard in Temuair, in
such a manner as befits and aids all Guards in all areas within
the Realm. This document is not meant to serve as a replacement
or as a higher authority for existing Temuairian law, and it will
not hold as evidence that favours, or as justification that
excuses, any crime.

Reporting for Duty.

A summation of a Guards initial duties once he or she
enters office.

Once an aisling takes the oath of office and receives his or
her uniform, all will know that aisling as a Guard in office
empowered with Guard- related duties and responsibilities. His or
her name will be spoken by various Mundanes throughout Temuair
should anyone ask for a list of Guards in office at that moment,
and his or her name may also be posted on various Boards and
Slates around the realm.

However, it behooves the new Guard to declare that he or she
is ready to serve, and indeed it is a requirement by law (in
Mileth) for each new Guard to report for duty. Therefore, the
first action a new Guard should take is to report to the Justice
Hall in Mileth or Rucesion, depending upon his or her
citizenship, and to post a letter of introduction to the correct
Justice Board.

The new Guard should state his or her name and qualifications,
and if desired, a brief statement politely declaring his or her
intentions while in office. It is also beneficial for other
Guards and officials to know when a new Guard believes he or she
is most likely to be available within the realm. Therefore, a new
Guard should respectfully relay his or her schedule, if at all
possible, out of a desire to be helpful to his or her comrades at
arms within the justice system.

The new Guard should then turn to the Law Board or Slate
proclaiming the laws that pertain to his or her area of
jurisdiction. He or she should take detailed notes on the
definition, procedures, and punishments outlined for each law,
and he or she should immediately contact a Guard Captain with any
questions. If the Guard Captain is not available, the new Guard
may politely and respectfully approach a Demagogue or Burgess to
ask his or her questions, because a new Guard should not go on
duty or patrol without possessing a thorough understanding of the
law he or she will enforce.

The Guard Uniform.

A discussion related to the identifying effects of a Guard,
namely, the uniform.

When a Guard assumes office, whether it is for the first or
fourth time, he or she receives a brand new green bliaut. These
clothes are not noble garments, per se, as are bestowed upon
other notable figures within the realm, nor are they merely a
second change of clothing. The green bliaut is the Guard uniform
and should be treated with great caution, care, and respect.

If an aisling is on duty or using his or her powers as a
Guard, he or she should be in uniform. It is not permissible for
an aisling to wear his or her uniform while hunting or while
pursuing quests, it is not permissible for a Guard to loan out
his or her uniform to another aisling who is not also a Guard. It
is permitted, if not encouraged, for Guards to wear their
uniforms at pledgings, weddings, and other formal occasions to
honour the guests and attendants. However, it is not necessary,
or even recommended, for a Guard to brandish any sort of weapon
while exercising their powers of office. A Guard need not
threaten or chasten another aisling with a sword, dagger, staff,
secret, or any other type of weapon; he or she possesses all the
power of the law which is ultimately superior to any type of
object of force.

Additionally, it is expressly forbidden for a current or
former Guard to sell his or her uniform to anyone, even another
Guard who wishes to have a spare uniform in case of emergency.
Similarly, a Guard may only give his or her uniform away to
another Guard who is in office at that time. It is not acceptable
to loan a Guard uniform to anyone who is not a Guard in office at
that time, not for any reason or purpose. If a former Guard does
not with to keep his or her bliaut and no Guard who is in office
at that time wishes to have it, the Writer recommends he or she
sacrifice it at the altar of the Gods in Temuair. (This is
because the mundanes in Temuairian banks seem reluctant to take
uniforms in their safekeeping.)

General Comportment

A rumination on the conduct and behaviour of the Guard
while in office, both on and off duty.

It is a fact, and a reflection of the times in which we live,
that a Guard is effectively on duty at any time he or she is
within the realm of Temuair. Whether or not a Guard is in
uniform, whether or not a Guard is within the jurisdiction of his
or her citizenship, whether or not a Guard is carrying out the
responsibilities of officehe or she is seen and known to be
a Guard. For this reason, it best behooves a Guard to be mindful
of his or her words and actions at all times. If this burden of
example proves too restrictive or too onerous for an aisling to
bear, then sadly he or she is not a good fit for the office of
Guard.

A Guard (like any other elected official) should ideally
present himself or herself to the realm as the best of what
aislinghood purports to be. A Guard should always be polite,
honest, and calm in tone and manner. A Guard should always treat
other aislings, mundanes, and immigrants with courtesy. The
motivation behind this way of thinking and acting should not be
born of a desire to remain in office and to secure votes, but
instead it should be a constant awareness of a Guards
abilities to enforce the law.

Whatever a Guard does or says is precisely reflective of what
that Guard will find acceptable in others. Therefore the Guard
who swears, or mocks mundanes and new emigrants, or who gives
preferential or indulgent treatment to a friend or family member,
or treats other aislings rudely and unfairly, is emulating the
type of behaviour others will expect he or she to tolerate. It is
inconsistent with the spirit of Temuairian law, and with the very
essence of being an aisling, to have one expectation for
ones self and a second, entirely different expectation for
others. It is also, largely, viewed as hypocritical by other
aislings all around, so the Guard who is not mindful of his or
her own conduct will earn a bad reputation and usually not remain
long in office.

It is additionally most important for a Guard to mind his or
her behaviour when on duty. It is also a reflection of the age in
which we live that certain new immigrants (and even certain
long-time residents) find deep satisfaction in harassing
political officials. It is even an expectation of duty to assume
that criminals and heretics will abuse and mistreat a Guard who
punishes them, not to mention that criminals or
heretics family, friends, and associates. But again, it is
not correct or even acceptable for a Guard to descend to the same
level and type of behaviour as criminals and heretics exhibit.

It is not acceptable for a Guard to scream, swear, or verbally
abuse another aisling, not even if he or she is breaking the law.
It is not acceptable for a Guard to strike another aisling, even
if that aisling is striking a Guard. It is entirely possible, and
greatly admirable, for a Guard to dispatch his or her duty in
office with steady, grim, and determined patience, and it is well
within a Guards duty to punish someone who threatens or
harasses them or any other Guard according to the definition of
the law. That is, a Guard need not respond in kind to criminal
behaviour, but a Guard need not let such behaviour go unpunished
if necessary, either.

Responsibilities to Other Officials.

A discussion of a Guards responsibilities to other
Guards, to Demagogues, to Burgesses, and to Judges, from any and
all parts of Temuair.

The primary rule that a Guard must uphold with regards to his
or her comrades in politics is a simple one: a Guard must never
make another officials job more difficult.

What does this mean? Citizenship, religion, personal
involvement, and other forms of prejudice should never determine
how, or if, a Guard comes to the assistance of another elected
official. A Guard should always remember that in times of need or
crisis, he or she may only have another elected official to turn
to for assistance or support. Again, awareness of clout or
widdling or removal should not be uppermost in a Guards
mind when thinking of other officials, but instead, a Guard
should seek to improve and preserve a true spirit of teamwork and
cooperation.

It is imperative for a Guard to let another Guard handle his
or her own criminal matters unless that other Guard is breaking
or ignoring the law, or unless the other Guard asks for
assistance. It is imperative for a Guard to respond politely and
promptly to a request by any Demagogue, Burgess or Judge when the
request involves a matter of law or justice. It is imperative for
a Guard to uphold, and not to contradict or reverse, the verdict
or punishment of another official (in Mileth, specifically, this
action is expressly illegal). Even if a Guard is acting in
concert with other officials to widdle or remove a corrupt
official from office, it is imperative that a Guard exercise this
sad duty with calmness and with sobriety. A Guard must always
remember his or her place within the greater scheme of law and
order within Temuair, and never assume or presume he or she is
above it.

Responsibilities in the Courtroom.

A postulation on the responsibilities of the Guard within a
Temuairian courtroom.

Should the need for instituting a trial system ever arise in
Temuair, it will be essential for a Guard to place himself or
herself at the complete disposal of other officials conducting
the trial. It may be necessary for a Guard to act as a bailiff to
gather all parties involved in the dispute, or to act as an
escort to a criminal or witness, or to play the part of law
enforcement within the courtroom itself. In any or all of these
cases, or in any other situation where a Guard is required, the
Guards of the realm should answer the call for assistance readily
and willingly.

(More Lore pertaining to trials will be provided on a future
day when Judges come into office and should trials become a
necessity.)

Investigating Alleged Crimes.

A description of the proper and appropriate methods
involved in a Guards investigation of an alleged crime.

The primary rule that a Guard must uphold with regards to
investigating alleged crimes is also simple: a Guard must follow
proper procedure and never inflame the situation at hand.

It is always in a Guards best interests to enter a
situation with a cool head and a calm tone. If a Guard has been
called in to investigate a situation, it is always fair to assume
that tempers have flared and arguments have gone on, and that the
aislings or immigrants involved might be genuinely enraged. A
Guard must always remember that his or her first task is to
determine the facts of a situation. The Guard should gather some
or all of the following (depending upon the procedures
recommended under each different law): statements from each party
involved, memories ((screen shots)), and/or witness testimony.
The Guard should politely but firmly discourage anyone involved
in the case from making the situation worse, as some less
discerning individuals may use the presence of a Guard to sling
insults or new accusations. Finally, when the Guard is satisfied
that he or she has the necessary understanding of the situation
at hand, he or she can determine what, if any, punishment is
appropriate.

It is never acceptable for a Guard to be confrontational or
belligerent when investigating a crime. It does not matter if the
aislings or immigrants involved treat Guards with contempt, the
mere presence of a Guard at the scene of an alleged crime conveys
the full measure of a Guards authority. Therefore, the
Guard should remember that he or she is capable of handling any
situation he or she might come across, no matter how chaotic
events may get or how disrespectful others might become. If a
Guard can bear these things in mind at all times, then he or she
would never feel the need to treat others as they themselves
might be treated.

Administering the Law.

A description of the proper and appropriate methods
involved in a Guards administration of punishment for a
crime.

With a few notable exceptions that may be noted by reading the
Mileth and Rucesion law boards, the approved and required
procedure for Guards handling an alleged crime is first to warn
and then to banish. The number of warnings a Guard must give
varies from law to law, but as a general rule of thumb no Guard
can go wrong by giving three warnings.

The purpose of warning an alleged criminal is threefold:
first, it gives the alleged criminal fair warning and alerts them
to a Guards presence; second, it enables a Guard to
determine if the aisling or immigrant is knowingly breaking the
law, and third, it informs the Guard as to the aislings or
immigrants state of mind. In situations of sexual abuse or
harassment (in Mileth) a warning is not necessary if memories
((screen shots)) and/or witnesses are present so that the Guard
can clearly determine a crime has taken place. But in all cases,
a warning serves a clearly beneficial purpose: it is part of the
established procedure that protects a Guard from accusations of
improper investigation and arrest, and it gives the alleged
criminal clear, fair warning to cease what they are doing.

It is entirely possible that someone may be breaking a law in
complete ignorance of what they are doing; many immigrants, for
example, come from a faraway land in the East where the legal
code is very different. It is also true (greatly unfortunate, but
still true) that many Mentors and Guides do not require their
students to read the local Law Board as a part of their training
regimen. Therefore ignorance, on its own, is neither a crime nor
an excuse, but giving warnings is a fairly accurate way to
determine if ignorance is involved. The act of warning also helps
the Guard to determine if the alleged criminal is defensive or
contrite. Forgiveness is always an option for any Guard to
consider, but forgiveness is more likely to be effective if the
alleged criminal is apologetic.

The advisable method of giving a warning involves plain,
straightforward language and a calm tone. It is best upon first
warning for a Guard to alert the alleged criminal to his or her
presence, to state what particular crime he or she is accused or
committing, and to ask the alleged criminal to stop or to explain
themselves. If an alleged criminal becomes threatening or
abusive, whether or not he or she stops doing what he or she is
doing, the Guard may use his or her own judgment to determine if
harassment is then taking place. (It is well worth mentioning
here that a Guard might think twice before showing compassion for
any aisling or immigrant who is abusive, threatening, or
belligerent towards officials; a Guard who forgives and/or
retreats from someone behaving in that manner will most likely
only put another Guard at risk, which is completely
unacceptable.)

If the first warning does not prevent the alleged criminal
from continuing to commit a crime, a second and more pointed
warning should be given. This second warning should bluntly tell
the alleged criminal to stop what they are doing, and state
banishment as the punishment for the crime the criminal is
committing. If the second warning does not work, the Guard may
choose to warn once more or proceed directly to banishment,
depending upon his or her best judgment.

Reporting Banishments.

A description of the most helpful manner in which to post a
report of banishment.

It is essential, if not required by law, for a Guard to report
that they have banished a criminal. It is best if this report is
filed as quickly as possible, and it should be posted to the
proper Slate or Board per whatever directives exist in the
Guards jurisdiction.

The most effective manner of posting a banishment is to write
a brief, but complete, account of the situation including the
names of any witnesses and the presence of any relevant memories
((screen shots)). The posting should be titled, simply, as
"Banished <Criminal>" so that Demagogues,
Burgesses, and Judges can easily find it.

Forgiving Banishments.

A discussion of the benefits, drawbacks, and prohibitions
involved in forgiving a banishment.

It should be noted immediately here that in Mileth, only the
Guard who banished a criminal can forgive that banishment,
bearing in mind certain exceptions and other details that can be
read on the Mileth Law Board. That is, in Mileth, it is proper
procedure for all Guards, Demagogues, Burgesses and Judges to
tell a banished citizen that he or she must seek out the Guard
who banished them in the first place, and that no other official
can legally assist them.

With that in mind, it is important for all Guards to realize
the gravity of what banishment means for criminals and for
themselves. It greatly behooves a Guard to use banishment as a
final, unfortunate, last resort when no other measure has been
successful. Though at the same time, no Guard should hesitate to
banish a truly unrepentant and stubbornly offensive criminal for
whom there is no other justifiable punishment. A Guard who
banishes a criminal should feel they have used their most
powerful means of enforcing the law, for all the good and the
negative involved, and he or she should not take the use of this
power lightly.

Similarly, no Guard should entertain forgiving a banishment
lightly, either. Indeed, if they themselves performed the
banishment, then ideally there should have been no doubt or
conflict about the rightness of the action in their minds at the
time. If all Guards perceived the act of banishment in this
light, with this sincerity and gravity, then forgiveness of
banishment would become quite properly rare and infrequent. No
Guard, then, would be easily persuaded to forgive a banishment,
whether they performed it themselves or not.

Conclusion.

A summary of the arguments and points of logic suggested
within.

It is the opinion of the Writer that aislings who enter into
the office of Guard should do so with full understanding and
respect for what that office embodies: the first line of defense
against lawlessness and chaos in the land of Temuair. It is the
Writers hope that she has infused the reader with a small
spark of pride, understanding, and honour for the men and women
who wear the Guard uniform and hold the office itself in high
respect.